Plier-type, magazine-feed crimping and cutting hand tool



Nov. 12, 1957 w, c, BROWN 2,812,676

PLIER-TYPE, MAGAZINEfFEED CRIMPING AND CUTTING HAND TOOL Filed Dec. 29, 1955 rr rr T T-H H6- 2 iiuif 'ii r H g,

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r "I 1.15! hing]: F 5:; H! I: l l u I" II m H LIULILIIU my; 31 q u W 61 BROWN KAM A 770R? United States Patent 4 PLIER-TYPE, MAGAZINE-FEED CRIMPING AND CUTTING HAND TOOL Walter C. Brown, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application December 29, 1955, Serial No. 556,131

6 Glaims. (CI. 81-15) This invention relates to plier-type, magazine-feed crimping and cutting hand tools and more particularly to such hand tools for applying electrical connectors to con ductors.

An object of this invention is to provide a device for rapidly applying electrical connectors to conducting wires.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hand tool in which solderless terminal connectors are automatically fed from a magazine to a pair of jaws which crimp the terminal connectors onto the ends of wires inserted therein.

One embodiment of the present invention may include a pair of pliers having jaws which cooperate to crimp solderless terminal connectors to wires inserted therein. A magazine secured to one of the jaws carriesa plurality of the connectors which are formed in a continuous metallic strip. A feed mechanism moves the connectors from the magazine into a position between the jaws and a pair of cooperating cutters secured tothe jaws clips the metallic strip to sever a crimped connectorfrom the strip during the final stage of the crimpingoperation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reference to the folowing detailed description thereof and the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the hand tool for applying electrical connectors to conductors;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device showing a solderless connector held in operative position for application to a wire;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 1 showing the manner in which the connector and wire are held between the jaws of the hand tool for crimping;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3 showing a wire inserted into one of the connectors readied for crimping;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the jaws of the pliers with a connector held therein before the crimping operation;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary elevationalview of the jaws of the pliers and a connector held therein on completion of the crimpingand cutting operations; and

Fig. 7 is aplan view of a completely assembled connector and wire. l l g Referring now in detail to the drawing a magazine 11 (Fig. 1) containing a spiral roll 12 of solderless connectors 13 connected by a continuous strip 15 is shown secured to a lower jaw 16 of a pair of pliers 17 of a parallel jaw type. Central U-shaped portions of the connectors 13 for receiving bare ends 19 of wires 20 are provided with tangs 22 which are to be crimped onto the ends of the wires to which the connectors 13 are to be applied. The ends 23 of the connectors 13 are formed to enter sockets (not shown) of a well known type whereby the connectors serve as electrical connections from the sockets to the wires. The spiral supply roll 12 (Fig. 1) of connectors 13 extends from the magazine 11 to a position between rod 29 slidably mounted on the pliers 17 and also connected to a pair of handles 31) of the pliers 17 actuates the rod 29 whereby it moves outward (toward the ends of the jaws 16 and 26) when the handles 30 are moved together and inward when the handles are released. A tension spring 31 secured between the upper jaw 26 and one of the handles 36 urges the handles 30 apart when they are released by the operator.

A lever 32 pivoted to the rod 29 is provided with a hook 33 at one end for engaging the connectors 13 to pull them in sequence from the magazine 11 into crimping position, the formed ends 23 of the connectors extending transversely from the jaws 16 and 26 to a position engaging the book 33. A leaf spring 35 (Figs. 1, 5 and 6) secured to the rod 29 urges the lever 32 and its hook 33 into hooked engagement with the connector 13 to advance it into crimping position when the lever is moved inward. A camming surface 37 (Fig. 5) is provided on the end of the lever 32 whereby the hook 33 is cammed over the connectors 13 when the lever is moved outward (Fig. 5).

The lower jaw 16 of the pliers is provided with a raised portion 38 having a transverse groove 39 into which the hook sequentially moves the connectors 13 for crimping. The connector 13 is fed into this operative position with the tangs 22 extending upwardly whereby the bare end 19 of one or" the wires 20 can be manually inserted therein. A vertical hold-down plunger 40 (Fig. 3) slidably. mounted in an aperture 42 in the upper jaw 26, and urged downward by a spring 43, engages the formed end 23 of the connector 13 to hold it in the transverse groove 39 in the lower jaw 16 as the end 19 of the wire 26 is inserted between the tangs 22.

A vertical bar 415 is slidably mounted in an aperture 46 in the upper jaw 26 whereby it can be lowered to extend below the upper jaw to engage the end 19 of the wire 20 to force it downward between the tangs 22 of the connector 13 as the jaws 16 and 26 are moved together. A compression spring 47 positioned in an enlarged portion 48 of the aperture 46 engages an enlarged head 50 on the bar 45 to raise it from a position engaging the end 19 of the wire 26 to a retracted position. A cam 51 which is secured to a shaft 52 passing through a hole 54 in the upper jaw 26 engages the upper side of the enlarged head 56 for moving the bar 45 downward into operative position to engage the wire. A pin 56 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) passes through a hole 57 in the upper jaw 26 and is urged into engagement with the cam 51 by a spring 58 secured to the upper jaw 26. An arcuate end. of the A reentrant groove 62 (Figs. 1, 5 and 6) in the upper.

jaw 26 corresponding to the groove 39 in the lower jaw 16 is provided for receiving the tangs 22 of the central portions of the connectors 13 when the jaws 16 and 26 are moved together. The walls 65 (Fig. 5) of the groove 62 engage the tangs 22 to force them together to crimp them onto the end 19 of the wire 20 inserted between the tangs, thus firmly securing the connector 13 to the wire 20 and establishing a good electrical connection therebetween.

A pair of cutters 66 and 67 secured to the jaws 16 and 26, respectively, cooperate to clip the strip 15 to sever the connectors 13 therefrom as the wires 20 are crimped in the connectors.

in the cam 51 to hold it in this position whereby the bar 45 is held inthis lowermost position. The handles 3% of the pliers 17 are then moved together until the holddown plunger 40 engages the connector 13 to hold it in the groove 39 in the lower jaw 16, the connector 13 having been moved into this position by the hooked lever 32. The operator then manually inserts the bare end 19 of the insulated wire 26 into position between the tangs 22. Upon further movement of the handles 30 toward each other the bar 45 forces the end 19 of the wire 20 into its lowermost position between the tangs 22, and the walls 65 of the reentrant groove 62 in the upper jaw 26 engage the ends of the tangs 22 to bend them. The handle 61 is then rotated 90 to rotate the cam 51 from locked position and permit the spring 47 to raise the bar 45 whereupon the operator further moves the handles 36 together to firmly crimp the tangs 22 onto the bare end 19 of the insulated wire 20. In this final movement of the jaws 16 and 26 the cutters 66 and 67 engage the strip 15 to sever it at a point between the crimped connector 13 now held in operative position and the adjacent connector to be moved into operative position.

The lever 32 is now in feed position, having moved outward as the handles 30 were moved together. When the operator releases the handles 30 they are moved apart by the spring 31, thereby moving the lever 32 inward and pulling another connector 13 into operative position for crimping to a wire 20. The above procedure is then repeated.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of this invention. ments may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for securing articles to wires, comprising a plurality of cooperative members for engaging portions of an article to crimp it onto a wire, means for actuating the members, means controlled by said actuating means for feeding the articles one at a time into crimping position, and means mounted on one of the cooperating members for holding the article in crimping position as said members are actuated.

2. A device for securing articles to wires, comprising a pair of jaws having cooperating surfaces for engaging portions of an article to crimp it onto a wire, means for actuating the jaws, means for feeding the articles one at a time into position between said jaws, and means carried by one jaw for holding the article between the jaws as they are moved together to crimp said article.

3. A device for crimping electrical connectors to wires, comprising a pair of jaws having cooperating surfaces for engaging portions of electrical connectors to crimp them onto wires, means for actuating the jaws, a magazine secured to one of the jaws and containing a supply of said connectors, 'means controlled by the jaws for'moving the connectors one at a time from the magazine into position between the jaws, and a member carried by one of the jaws for holding a connector in engagement with the other jaw as the jaws are moved together.

Numerous other arrange- 4. A device for crimping electrical connectors onto wires, comprising a pair of jaws having cooperating surfaces for engaging portions of electrical connectors to crimp them onto wires, means for actuating the jaws, a magazine secured to one of the jaws for carrying a plurality of the electrical connectors secured together by a strip, means for automatically feeding the connectors sequentially from the magazine into position between the jaws, a member carried by one of the jaws for holding one of the electrical connectors in engagement with the other jaw as said j-aws are moved together, and means carried by the jaws for severing the connectors from the strip after they have been secured to the wires.

5. A' device for crimping electrical connectors onto wires, comprising a pair of jaws having cooperating surfaces for engaging portions of electrical connectors to crimp them onto wires, means for actuating the jaws, a magazine secured to one of the jaws for carrying a plurality of said electrical connectors secured in a continuous strip, a movable lever operated by the jaw actuating means and having a hooked portion for engaging the connectors to sequentially move them from the magazine to a position between said jaws, a spring loaded member carried by one jaw for engaging one of the electrical connectors to hold it in engagement with the other jaw as the jaws are being moved together, and a pair of cooperating cutters secured to the jaws for severing the strip to separate the crimped connectors therefrom.

6. A hand tool for crimping electrical connectors to wires, comprising a pair of jaws having cooperating surfaces for engaging U- shaped portions of electrical connectors to crimp them onto wires, a pair of handles attached to the jaws for actuating them, a magazine attached to one of the jaws for carrying a spiral roll of electrical connectors secured in a continuous strip, a hooked lever carried by the handles for engaging the electrical connectors to move them in sequence into position between the jaws, means actuated by the handles for operating the hooked lever, a spring loaded plunger carried by one jaw for engaging the electrical connectors in sequence to hold them in crimping position on the other jaw as the wires are inserted into the U-shaped portions of the connectors, a movable member carried by one jaw for engaging a wire to force it into said U-shaped portions of the electrical connectors, means on one of the jaws for actuating the movable member, and a pair of cooperating cutters carried by the jaws and actuated thereby for severing a connector from the strip after it has been crimped onto a wire.

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 838,008 Chandler et a1. Dec. 11, 1906 2,086,400 Brenizer July 6, 1937 2,411,838 Swengel Nov. 26, 1946 2,594,789 Morin Apr. 28, 1952 2,626,393 Flood Jan. 27, 1953 2,684,421 Hippie July 20, 1954 2,692,384 Pollock Oct. 26, 1954 2,722,859 Stoltz Nov. 8, 1955 2,727,236 Klumpp Dec. 20, 1955 2,738,693 Logan Mar. 20, 1956 2,760,195 Berg Aug. 28, 1956 

